Turned Around
by Ghostwriter
Summary: Reverse order of Scott and Shelby finding out each other's secrets.


TURNED AROUND

DISCLAIMER

Same story, better title. All _Higher Ground_ characters, familiar scenes, and lines belong to Fox Family. This is just my idea on what would've happened if the way Scott and Shelby had found out about each other had been done in reverse. I know some of it may not be entirely like the characters or storylines, but it's just my imagination.

Sixteen-year old Scott Barringer had been kissing sixteen-year old Shelby Merrick when suddenly, she pulled away.

"No," she she said.

"What's the matter?" Scott asked in concern. Shelby shook her head and resumed kissing him.

_"Kitten, Kitten. I knew you loved me," Walt breathed. He pressed his body against hers._ Shelby's face twisted in pain and she jerked away.

"No, Walt! Don't!" she cried. Scott watched as she jumped back and began to cry.

"Shelby?" Scott asked hesitantly. The girl just continued to cry. "Shelby, what's wrong?" Scott asked.

"I---I can't do this anymore. I can't keep it in," Shelby said.

"What happened, Shelb?" Scott questioned.

"My stepfather, he's been molesting me. That's why I ran away all the time. I had to. It wouldn't stop otherwise," she told him.

"Oh, dang," Scott sighed. "Shelby, I'm sorry," he apologized.

"You didn't know," Shelby told him, wiping away her tears. This was not the time for crying! She had to be strong.

"What are you going to do?" Scott wondered.

"I'm going to report it. Of course, Peter will have to call CPS. It's like, the law of the school or something," Shelby answered, standing up.

"You want me to come with you?" Scott asked.

"Yes. Please," Shelby answered. Together, the two walked back to the lodge.

"Where were you two? We were worried sick," their counselor, Sophie Becker, snapped.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you," Shelby said softly. Immediately, the counselor picked up on the abnormal attitude.

"Shelby, are you okay? What's the matter?" she asked in concern.

"I need to talk to Peter," Shelby told her.

"I'll go get him," Sophie stated. She walked across the room.

"Hey. Shelby needs to talk to you. She didn't say why," Sophie said. Peter Scarbrow, the director and principal of Mt. Horizon, followed her.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Could we move it to the kitchen?" she requested. Peter agreed and they moved into the kitchen. The director of Mt. Horizon and the counselor noted Shelby clung to Scott as if he were a life-preserver, but didn't voice their confusion.

"Okay, what is it?" Peter asked.

"I need you to call CPS. My stepfather's been molesting me," Shelby stated.

"Oh, Shelby. Oh, honey," Sophie breathed sympathetically. Peter went to the phone and dialed a number.

TWO WEEKS LATER

AN

Okay, I know you were probably expecting a scene with CPS, but I thought it would take too long. By this time, Jess has admitted that she was also molested, Walt has been arrested, and Jess is now with Shelby at Horizon. Shelby's mother, Alice, has supported her daughters throughout the whole mess and the girls have been working on their relationship with her. Oh, and the reporter "Amanda" is still with the group.

"Scott, you got a phone call," Peter announced. Scott followed the man and took the receiver.

"Hey, Dad," he said in happy surprise. Then, he made some attentive noises. Finally, he hung up.

"What's going on?" Peter asked.

"My stepmother was in a car crash," Scott replied.

"Okay, I'll get you a pass---" Peter began to say.

"No!" Scott interrupted.

"Scott---" Peter said.

"You gonna make me go?" Scott questioned angrily.

"Not if you don't want to," Peter replied.

"I **don**'**t**," Scott snapped.

"Okay," Peter said. Minutes later, they were out in the forest.

"Peter, are you sure this is a good idea? I mean, if Scott's stepmother dies, and he's here, how is he going to feel?" Sophie questioned.

"Relieved, probably," Peter replied. It only took a minute for the woman to understand what her friend was saying.

"What? No! Not Scott! There was nothing in his records to suggest abuse by his stepmother!" she protested.

"You can't always trust the records, Soph. A lot of times it's in their eyes. I've seen it in Scott's eyes ever since he's been here," was his answer.

"Well, what do we do?" she wondered.

"Wait. Until he's ready, we can't help him," he replied. As they went on, Shelby, who had noticed Scott's strange behavior, tried to get him to talk, but he just blew her off.

"Hey, I'm just trying to be a friend," Shelby said in a hurt tone.

"Shelby, just go away!" Scott snapped, then quickened his pace.

"What's **his** damage?" Amanda asked.

"Deeper than **you** can fathom," sixteen-year old Daisy Lipenowski responded protectively. Finally, they all stopped to set up camp and the Cliffhangers met in one of the tents to discuss the newbie.

"A narc?" Scott repeated.

"Yeah. She was asking all these questions," sixteen-year old Juliette "Jules" Waybourne answered.

"I don't think Peter knows, though," fourteen-year old Jessica "Jess" Merrick defended.

"Please, the Captain knows everything," Shelby stated.

"Yeah. How else would she get here?" sixteen-year old Ezra Friedkin pointed out.

"Man, you guys watch too much, t.v.," sixteen-year old Augusto "Auggie" Ciceros stated.

"Maybe, but we've been having our fun with her," Juliette reminded them. They all laughed, remembering the wild stories they had concocted. Minutes later, they had gathered around a campfire.

"We were flooded out once and the next year, my group gave up because we had to walk fourteen miles in one day. But you guys have hung in there. I'm really proud of you guys," eighteen-year old Katherine "Kat" Cabot stated. Everyone clapped.

"Does anybody have anything they want to talk about?" Peter asked. "Amanda?" he prodded. The girl scoffed and crossed her arms.

"I don't know you people. Why should I tell you anything?" she snapped.

"Oh, come on, Mandy. Tell us some deep, personal secrets. You can trust us, but can we trust **you**?" Daisy asked sweetly.

"Okay, anybody else?" Peter asked.

"You know, you open up to somebody and tell them your secrets, and they're there for you, which is great. But after that, they don't want to talk to you anymore," Shelby stated.

"Something you want to address, Shelby?" Peter asked.

"I just did," Shelby responded.

"My stepmother was in a car crash," Scott told her. Shelby blew out a breath.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know, okay?" she responded. "You must feel---"

"**Don**'**t** tell me how I feel," Scott interrupted. "She's just a skank that married my dad. An extra plate at dinner. I don't even know her." With that, he got up and walked away, Shelby at his heels. Sophie stood up to follow, but Peter pulled her back.

"Well, is she okay? Is she still in the hospital? What?" Shelby pressed.

"I don't care! I **hope** she dies! I've prayed for it ever since she married my dad!" Scott exclaimed.

"There's something you're not telling me," Shelby realized.

"No," Scott objected, beginning to pace in agitation. _I can't let her find out! She'll never look at me again!_ he thought.

"She did something to you, didn't she?" Shelby questioned.

"I---I don't know what you're talking about," Scott stammered. Shelby watched as he moved back and force, trying to figure out what was bugging him. Then, it clicked.

"She did it to you," she said.

"No!" he denied.

"She---she abused you. She molested you," she continued.

"No!" he exclaimed.

"Scott, it wasn't your fault!" she told him.

"Shelby, go away!" he shrieked. She tried to hug him, but he just pushed her back. Then, he ran back to the camp. Peter and Sophie jumped up as the boy began to wreck the camp. Finally, Peter was able to grab Scott.

"Scott! Scott! Calm down!" he cried.

"I'm---I'm sorry! I didn't mean to! I didn't mean to!" the boy exclaimed, dropping to his knees. He began to rock back and forth as his tears fell. The others stared. Didn't mean to what?

"Peter, I didn't mean to. Didn't want to," Scott insisted.

"What's going on, bud?" Peter asked.

"She would come into my room at night and get into bed with me," Scott said. Nobody noticed Shelby walking up to the group until she was right next to Peter and Sophie.

"What are you saying?" Amanda asked.

"Sssh!" Kat hissed.

"She made me have sex," Scott revealed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. Didn't want to. I'm sorry." Shelby knelt down and hugged him, followed by Peter and Sophie.

"Didn't mean to. Didn't want to. Didn't want to. Sorry. So sorry," Scott sobbed.

"Ssssshhhh, ssssshhhhh. It's okay. It's okay," Shelby whispered.

THE END


End file.
